Independent Hero: Brazil in a Trance

In the aftermath of the Brazilian carnival, Mangueira’s victory with its depiction of Marielle and the #goldenshowerbolsonaro, the whole country of Brazil trembles between opposing tectonic forces: it is time for us to give a little help by shedding a light on the darkness of opportunism. All cinema is political, take a look at the programming of this Independent Hero of IndieLisboa 2019, the beloved films coming straight from Brazil.

Twenty-five years ago, Brazilian cinema was being retaken. 1994 marked the return to national production, after the period of interregnum in which Collor de Mello had dissipated all the support and incentives to cinematographic creation. In 2019, the country and its cinema are living turbulent times, an issue which we decided not to ignore.

After Brazilian films garnered IndieLisboa’s main awards in 2018, it is time to celebrate creativity and to support a community who is experiencing a particularly auspicious period. In this program, we will show very recent and never before premiered films in Portugal, mirroring a daring and politically awakened production. We will (also) be the voice and a place for cinema and will actively contribute to its continuity.

A love letter from IndieLisboa to Brazil’s year in film, this program reflects the proximity between the festival and a fearless and original type of cinema that has been on IndieLisboa’s radar since its first edition. It is time to pay homage to this long relationship, in a period when the world asks us to pay attention and to do our part.

Aside the feature films, another set of recent short films will be screened, which we’ll unveil soon. The full program will also have echoes of Brazilian cinema in the International Competition, National Competition, Silvestre and Mouth of Madness sections. Find out more about those on April 2nd. Guests of the program will be in Lisbon for a conversation about the present and future of Brazilian cinema.